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10 responses to this post.

You’re right Matt. Read Lincoln’s comment in WBC where he walks all around the issue and then offers a less than satisfactory answer that ignores what you pointed out. He says the plural “may stand under the liturgical influence of the formulae for eternity.” Is he serious?

P.T. Obrien is closer to the point. After noting that the traditional “two-age” view is unlikely in Eph. 2:7 he states (following F. F. Bruce), “The plural ages is not simply a stylistic variation of the singular, but a more general conception, implying ‘one age supervening upon another like successive waves of the sea, as far into the future as thought can reach.'”

However, theologically I would point out that the “ages” spoken of are not endlessly successive. We would all agree that there is a final age called the eternal state. It’s how we get there (i.e., to that age) that is debated.

Thanks for the two links. As I am struggling through covenant/dispensational thinking, Could you point to some resources that you found helpful, even fair to the other side that helped in your present understanding? This would be much appreciated.

I guess I’ll be the odd man out on this by stating that none of the arguments about these sorts of things really excites me any more. I’ve probably heard every argument for every kind of age and or dispensation there is during my lifetime, but none of it really means much. The key is, Jesus told us that no one knows when it will come, but that we should always be ready. I think he was also quite clear that our primary focus should be on the here and now, although we certainly look forward to the hope of being in his presence in the future. Sadly, far too many folks focus all their attention on what’s going to happen in the future and forget the here and now.

Sorry, but that’s the way I feel about the whole thing. What’s even more sad is that I’m even hearing people describe today’s Christians as the “Left Behind” generation. Is that how we want to be remembered?

I would most highly recommend that you read the chapter by Feinberg listed above. It will give you a very helpful explanation of the differences between disp theology and cov’t theology. I have given it to many people on both sides of the debate as a helpful summary of the issues.

I read the articles and I am not sure what to think. I have been wrestling through these issues the past 6 months and still have not come to a solid conclusion. Often I feel like a reed blown about in the wind in regards to certain aspects of the eschaton.

However, after researching the word for ages in Ephesians 2:7, I notice that it is the same word used for age. I am wondering how the translator came to the conclusion that this was the plural form of the greek word. Do you have any idea? If the greek word is the plural form why is the translation not consistent. In other words, why does the translator not translate the same word (aion) in Matthew 12:32 and Ephesians 2:7 also (aion)?

Thanks for helping me out. Obviously I have not learned Greek and was using a concordance. After doing some research I did notice that the word was different in Greek; I looked it up on Biblegateway and compared the two verses in the Greek New Testament.

In regards to your question about how Amillennialists would respond to ages in Ephesians 2:7, here is what I found in Vincent Cheung’s commentary on Ephesians, “The meaning of “in the coming ages” appears to differ from “in the [age] to come” in
1:21. Whereas Paul is making the typical two-age distinction in 1:21 (“not only in the
present age but also in the one to come”), here he is likely referring to all the coming
centuries of time relative to the writing of this letter, but probably also including “the age
to come.”
In other words, God’s chosen ones are already seated with Christ so that he might
demonstrate his grace and kindness to us, not only in the age to come, but also throughout
these centuries in which the church exists and labors on the earth. Just as God has
demonstrated “the surpassing greatness of His power” (1:19, NASB) in the resurrection
and exaltation of Christ, he now demonstrates “the surpassing riches of His grace” (2:7,
NASB) in the raising and seating of Christians with Christ.” (http://www.vincentcheung.com/books/ephesians.pdf; pg 70; paragrahs 2-3)